![]() ![]() ![]() Bill’s decision has implications for his family, for his community. This is just the point where what appeared to be a rich, complex and substantial novel becomes interesting. Then Bill is confronted with a choice, a moral dilemma, one that throws into relief everything that has happened in his life. And there are hints that all is not well for at least two of his five daughters. In times of fear she looks to protect her own. His wife, Eileen, is more pragmatic and hard-nosed than he is. With quiet compassion, Bill goes about his day, helping where he can, reflecting on the happy life he has with his wife and five children, despite a complicated childhood. Permeating it all is the power of the church. ![]() There are births, deaths, small joys and hidden sadnesses. There’s an economic crisis and he sees poverty. In the run up to Christmas, he goes about his work, observing the people in his community. Small Things Like These is just my kind of book, quietly powerful, beautifully told.īill Furlong is a coal merchant in a small Irish town in 1985. ![]()
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